Oct. 1, 2013 - 06:00AM
|

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer attends the People/Time Party On The Eve Of The White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 26 in Washington. Meyer confirmed his interest in running for Congress but did not give a time frame. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for Time Inc.)

Related Links

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer told Marine Corps Times on Tuesday night that he is “someday” interested in running for Congress, but left the time frame for it uncertain following a day of speculation about his plans.

Meyer, 25, said in a phone interview that he is weighing his options for the future after receiving public messages of support from hundreds of people online early Tuesday, as the U.S. government went into a shutdown driven by members of Congress failing to reach a compromise on federal spending.

“I love Americans and I believe in this country,” he told Marine Corps Times. “I really appreciate the overwhelming support and encouragement, and I hope to someday serve America again.”

Questions about Meyer’s political intentions arose after he posted a series of messages on Twitter late Monday and early Tuesday. In the first, Meyer, now a sergeant in the Marine Corps Individual Ready Reserve, complained about the shutdown at 10:51 p.m.

“I’ve decided I think that for everyday the federal government shuts down, we shouldn’t have to pay federal taxes,” he said. “What about you??”

When others encouraged him to run for office, he responded that he was thinking about it. At 12:01 a.m., as the shutdown took hold, he posted: “Congress 2016, POTUS 2024!”

That time line is still uncertain, Meyer said. He is frustrated by the shutdown, however.

“It’s ridiculous that Congress can’t make a decision,” he said.

On Twitter, Meyer re-tweeted many of the messages of support he received. He also expressed gratitude for those urging him to run for office.

“I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support & encouragement about my decision to pursue elected office! #makeadifference,” he said.

Meyer has largely avoided politics since receiving the Medal of Honor in September 2011 for heroism two years before in eastern Afghanistan. However, he has stayed active in a series of charity work involving military veterans, and endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign in late 2011. Perry, a Republican, suspended his campaign in January 2012 and endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney.